Fur-blowing machine



(No Model.)

T. F. PAY.

FUR BLOWING MACHINE.

No. 369,699. Patented Sept. 13, 1887.

My PETERS. Phnmlnhogrnphur. Washinglbm u. C.

IlNiTnn STATES PATENT QFIPICEQ THOMAS F. FAY, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

FUR-BLOWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,699, datedSeptember 13, 1887.

Application filed January 24, 1887. Serial No. 225,283. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Beit known that I, THOMAS F. FAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFur-Blowing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Myinvention relates to the class of machines especially adapted for usein picking and sep arating the different grades of fur required in themanufacture of hats. It is of course well understood by those familiarwith the art that the fur used in the manufacture of hats and similararticles is purchased in large quantities, different lengths, grades,andkinds of fur being mixed together and the entire mass filled withdirt and other refuse. The machines employed for picking, cleaning, andseparating the grades of fur consist ordinarily of-a series ofchambers,-of which any number may be used, each chamber containing apicker-cylinder, feed-apron, screen, and refuse-box. As heretoforeconstructed, these machines have delivered but two grades of fur, whichhas necessitated that a portion of the stock be passed through themachine a number of times, as various grades of fur are required in themanufacture of hats. The time and labor required in properly grading thefur has thus formed a very considerable element in the cost ofproduction.

The object of my present invention is to so construct and arrange themachine that the fur as purchased in the market will require to be runthrough but once, and willby this operation be separated into three,four, or any desired number of grades, depending upon the number ofchambers in the machine. In the present instance I have shown a machinecontaining'six chambers, divided into two sections, and delivering threegrades of fur,which fully illustrates the principle of my invention. Itwill of course be understood that the details of construction of themachine, the shape,material, and putting together of the frame-work,820., are not of the essence of my invention.

In order to accomplish the above-stated results I have devised thesimple and novel construction of which the following description,

in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification.

The drawing is a central longitudinal section of the machine.

1 denotes chambers, each of which is preferably provided with a window,2.

Beginning at the right of the machine, 3 denotes a feed-apron carried byrollers4 outside of the machine, upon which the stock is placed, and bywhich it is carried to a pickercylinder, 5, within the-first chamber.The pickercylinders are rotated at a high rate of speed, and act to tearthe matted fur apart and to throw the lighter portion thereof clear tothe top of the chamber. This settles upon a second feed; apron, 3,carried by rollers in the same manner, and is carried by this apron to asimilar picker-cylinder in the second chamber, where the operation isrepeated. The dirt, however, and heavier portions of the fur, instead ofbeing thrown up by the picker-cylinders, drops down upon inclinedscreens or sieves 6. These screens are hinged in any suitable manner atthe top and are continually agitated by rotating cams 7, which raise thescreen slightly and then allow it to drop back upon its supports. of therefuse passes through the screen and into a box or other receptacle, 8,under it. The portion of the fur or other material in each chamber thatis not thrown up by the pickercylinder and that does not pass throughthe screen passes over its surface and drops down upon a returnapron, 9,carried by rollers in the same manner as the feed-aprons and passingalong under the boxes, the motion of the returnapron being the reverseof that of the feed aprons, and carrying the stock which is deliveredupon it back to'the front of the machine and delivering it outsidethereof in any suitable receptacle that may be provided. Thesereturn-aprons may be made to extend under two, three, or four of thechambers. In practice I have found itbest to divide the chambers intosets of three and provide a returnapron for each set, the machine, infact, being thus divided into sections. The operation in the secondchamber is the same as in the first.

The operation in the third chamber, likewise,

The dirt and heaviest portion' ber or under the machine, for a purposepresently to be explained, and the portion of the fur which settles uponthe feed-apron within this chamber passes to another section of themachine-that is, to another set of chambers. The operation in the fourthand fifth chambers, counting from the right-that is, the first andsecond chambers in the second section of the machineis the same as inthe first and second chambers of the first section. The material inthese chambers that does not drop upon the feed aprons in said chambersor pass through the screens passes over the screens and drops upon areturn-apron, 9, similar to the one under the first section. This aproncarries the material dropped upon it back toward the front of themachine and deposits it in box 10, a short apron, 11, carried by rollers12, being provided to guide the material into the box, it beingcompelled to pass between the two aprons. The material dropped upon thefeed-apron in the sixth chamber, counting from the right of themachine-that is, the last chamber in the second section of the machine,as shown in the drawing-is carried out of the machine and deposited in abox or suitable receptacle, which it was not deemed necessary toillustrate.

from the last chamber of the second section. The next grade will be thatdelivered by the second return-apron into box 10, and the third gradewill be that redelivered at the front of the machine by the firstreturn-apron. It will of course be understood that this principle may becarried out by adding as many sections as may be desired. If anadditional section were provided, the fur would be separated into fourgrades; if two additional sections were provided, into five grades. Inpractice I have often found it desirable to use twelve chambers,dividing the machine into four sections, each provided with a. returnapron, and thus producing five grades of fur lfiy a single operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A fur-blowing machineconsisting of two or more sections, each of which is provided with anindependent return-apron, each of the said sections having two or moreindependent chambers, and each of the-said chambers having apicker-cylinder, a feed-apron, and a screen, all combined to operatesubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS F. FAY.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, E. H. PERRETT.

